Barnabas Fund, 6 July 2022

3 Nigerian Christian women kidnapped as teenagers by Boko Haram Islamist terrorists from a school in Chibok 8 years ago have been found.

They were recovered with their children by the Nigerian Army during operations against Boko Haram in Borno State between 27 June and 25 July.

Ruth Bitrus, 24, and her child were rescued in Sambisa Forest.  Hanatu Musa, 26, and her 2 children, and Kauna Luka, 25, with 1 child, were recovered in the Bama Area.

Major General Shaibu said the women and children were given medical check-ups.  Arrangements are being made for them to be reunited with their families, he added.

Reporters said the women looked traumatised and thanked the military for their rescue.

Boko Haram abducted 276 mostly Christian girls from the Chibok School in April 2014.  Around 165 girls have since escaped, been rescued or released.  They reported being whipped to force them into marriage, while some Christian girls had a mock execution for refusing to convert to Islam.

In June 2022 the military recovered two other kidnapped Chibok women.  Mary Dauda revealed they were starved and beaten by their captors, adding, “I’m so happy to be back.”

International Christian Concern, 1 August 2022 (excerpts)

The wildly unpopular new president of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, elected last month amidst widespread turmoil due to the country’s economic crisis, has recently prompted anger amongst Sri Lanka’s Christian community.  Two particular affronts have prompted this.

First, he requested that the Supreme Court remove his name from the list of required respondents to petitions concerning the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings which killed 250 and injured 500 while he was Sri Lanka’s prime minister.  Investigations into these bombings are ongoing.  The president’s move to excuse himself from these deliberations instead of focusing his efforts on salvaging his country’s economy have riled the nation’s Christians.

The second incident was a police raid on a church in the capital.  Authorities stormed the church in search of Fr Amila Peiris, a major figure in the anti-government protests persisting since Sri Lanka’s economic collapse. Fr Peiris is accused of participating in a June rally and banned from leaving the country.  These allegations are likely just excuses for repressive state measures against the clergyman. The authorities targeting of Fr Peiris has further compounded Christians anger against Sri Lanka’s new president.

The Sri Lankan Christian Solidarity Movement asserted, “We strongly urge the government to respect people’s freedoms enshrined in the country’s constitution.” They also reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful dissent.

Voice of the Martyrs, 6 July 2022 (excerpts)

Front-line workers recently visited with four Christian families in Chiapas, Mexico, who have been rejected by their community because of their faith in Christ.

The families were held hostage in their homes and denied the right to leave for food or groceries. Eventually, members of the community drove the families from their homes.

Despite this opposition, the families remain firm in their faith, and they were filled with joy as they received encouragement from front-line workers and participated in a viewing of the Tortured for Christ movie.

“They are committed to share the gospel in their community no matter the cost,” a front-line worker shared.  “Pray for God’s wisdom in their relationship with their community and for freedom to preach the gospel.”

Specific areas within southern Mexico have a high concentration of indigenous minority groups.  These minority communities, which maintain a separate identity and language, are systematically oppressed by local authorities.

Christians among them are persecuted by Marxist and animist groups as well as village leaders.  These communities are remotely located and difficult to reach. Despite persecution, the number of Christians has continued to grow in these areas.

Barnabas Fund, 6 July 2022

A mob of Muslim extremists attacked a church and the homes of Christians in Luxor, Egypt on 23 June, after the church was granted an official licence.

The church in al-Halla village was among 239 churches registered in April by a government committee.  On the morning of the attack the Interior Ministry stationed guards outside the church, a standard government procedure at licensed churches across the country to ensure their security.

Local Christians said the licensing of the church and the appearance of the guards enraged Muslim extremists and a large crowd gathered, including Muslims from outside the village, shouting anti-Christian slogans.

The mob went on to attack the church and throw stones at the homes of Christians.  Several vehicles and motorbikes owned by Christians were set on fire.  “We kept to our homes for safety’s sake,” said a Christian. “This led to no casualties.”

Police were sent to the scene and helped the Interior Ministry guards to bring the situation under control.

“We have been worshipping at our church since 2003 without any problems,” explained a Christian.  “The village Muslims were well aware of it and no one ever objected.  “Now that the church has been legalised, the fundamentalists among them were furious.”

Christians say that their situation in Muslim-majority Egypt is now better than it has been in living memory.

Barnabas Fund, 7 July 2022 (excerpts)

The Tajikistan government will not register any more churches.  The senior state religious affairs official, Sulaymon Davlatzoda, informed Christian leaders of the decision at a meeting in the capital Dushanbe in late May.

No reason for this decision was given.

He was widely quoted by Christian leaders as saying, “We will no longer register any new churches. We will keep the figure of registered churches unchanged from now on.”

No church in Tajikistan had lost its registration in recent years, but no churches have been registered either.  Meeting for worship in unregistered premises is illegal.

The government also restricts public prayer by Muslims to officially registered mosques and has closed independent, unregistered mosques.

A church leader said, “We are sad … we are not allowed to open new churches and are banned from sharing our faith.”

Even the few churches granted nationwide registration are not in practice allowed to register new congregations.  The official also reiterated the government prohibition on children under 18 taking part in public religious activities.  Fines have been issued for non-compliance.

Tajikistan’s population is 90% Muslim, with a small Christian minority.  Converts from Islam are persecuted by authorities and often lose their jobs when they become Christians.